Admittedly, I once thought that was a very stupid question. It would just enable an addict, make it easier for them to do their drug of choice. Why make needles easier to get? These were all thoughts I had when I first heard about syringe exchange programs.

And so when I hear people express these thoughts, I don’t automatically discredit them, because it wasn’t that long ago that I thought the exact same thing.

I have spent a significant amount of time reading and trying to gather as much information about the horrific events that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, this weekend. Masses of protesters and counter-protesters clashed and one person was killed and 19 or 20 others injured when a 20-year-old man from Ohio (but recently moved from the Florence, Kentucky area) drove his car into the crowd, plowing over anyone and everyone in his path.

As we turn the page on July 2017, I find myself asking the same question once again, “Is summer over already?” To the disappointment of most Kentucky students, and many parents, the answer is an overwhelming “yes.”

Across Kentucky, community leaders, health care professionals, public policy makers and law-enforcement officials are stepping up to address the opioid epidemic. The Kentucky Academy of Family Physicians is one of many groups working to stop opioid abuse before it starts and to help those who already are struggling with opioid use disorders.